Drinking water OK'd after worm scare in Okla. town

COLCORD, Okla. (AP) — Residents of a small Oklahoma town have been given the all clear to drink tap water after red worms were found in the water supply last month.

Colcord Mayor Pat Upton said Thursday the ban was lifted this week after tests showed no problems with the water supply.

Red worms ranging from a half-inch to an inch long showed up late last month in the water supply in Colcord, a small town of 815 people about 80 miles east of Tulsa, near the Arkansas border.

Officials had said the worms weren't a health threat to people but acknowledged that it wasn't appealing. Residents had been asked not to consume the water until more tests were completed.

"It's a big relief to have that behind us," Upton said.

Upton said Colcord officials are still not sure how the worms wriggled into the water system or how much it cost the town to fix the problem. Utility workers cleaned, drained and re-cleaned the water tower following the discovery of the worms.

Several local businesses donated bottled water for residents to use for drinking water, and the local school district was closed for several days because of the problem.